Chapter 20 – Neve
NEVE
The next day, we traveled east, drawing ever closer to the main road that divided the midlands into the western and eastern portion. Once we hit the King’s Road, we’d follow it south to Myrr, where we’d treat with High Lord and the Warden of the Southlands, Tadgh Balik.
So far, the journey had been easy. Happy even.
The brothers Riis enjoyed having another sibling, especially seeing as they knew and loved Vale already.
Clemencia and Anna continued to bond, which warmed my heart.
The two were not so much alike, but they found commonalities and that they were trying meant the stars and the moon to me.
There was only one looming issue—and unfortunately for us, it proved a large one indeed. A storm brewed in the distance, the clouds so gray and foreboding that many times, we debated trying to disguise ourselves so that we could seek shelter in a village.
However, with Caelo’s glamour magic still being limited, and my face posted all over the kingdom, we’d decided against backtracking. Onwards it was. A choice that, with each step, I questioned more.
“Should we stop here and set up camp?” I eyed the clouds for what felt like the thousandth time as we came across a pool fed by a convergence of two small creeks.
Nearby, large rocks jutted out of the snow.
“Water is available for the horses, and I’ll use those rocks as a wall for the shelter I build.
Then we could all stay together for the night.
If I only have to make one large shelter for us, I can work on walls for the horses too. ”
Last night, we’d slept in three small ice huts, but if the storm was as savage as I suspected it might be, we’d want everyone together to trap in as much body heat as possible. When the temperatures dropped so much, I was especially worried for Anna.
“It’s not even suppertime,” Luccan stated the obvious, “if we stop now, we’ll lose a lot of travel time.”
“Staying in one ice hut would be better,” Arie countered, cutting a glance at Anna.
I suspected he wanted to stay near Anna as much as he wanted her to benefit from so much body heat. The pair flirted all day, but at night, Anna slept with Clemencia and Rynni, while the Riis brothers and Duran shared a hut. Only Vale and I slept alone.
“The clouds are moving faster than normal,” Duran added. “They could be upon us sooner than we think. I, for one, don’t wish to be caught riding in the middle of the storm. I say we do as Neve suggests and stop.”
Luccan shrugged, and as no one else spoke a strong opinion on the matter, we veered toward the pool and dismounted.
Glancing at the clouds again, I shivered. How did they move so quickly?
“Begin gathering wood,” Vale said. “The storm will make seeing the smoke impossible, so tonight we’ll sleep by a fire.”
“Thank the fates,” Thantrel said. He, more than anyone, disliked not having a fire.
When we traveled with the humans, the fires had been outside the huts, but as Vale said, it would be wise to bring it inside tonight. I’d have to make the shelter strong, with a hole in the top and wake up a couple of times during the night to reinforce the ice, but the work would be worth it.
Others chipped away the pool’s ice, gathered water, and unpacked while I studied the protruding rocks abutting one side of the pool. After so many days of creating shelters made of compacted snow and ice, I’d developed a confidence in how best to make them to protect the inhabitants.
“Do you need help digging the snow, Neve?” Clemencia asked, like she always did. Though Clem had small magic, she was so helpful in other ways.
“Not at all.” I pointed to the area where I wished to work and twirled my finger.
Snow rose in one great scoop, hollowing out the area.
I did that ten more times, expanding the base of the shelter until I was certain we’d all fit and then shifted to the right and made a larger dugout for the horses too.
The others were watering the horses and making sure they ate. The creatures were tired, and I was glad we’d stopped earlier than usual. They deserved a break.
The preliminary work finished, I laced my fingers together and pushed my palms away from me, preparing for the most draining part. My magic began swirling in the air when movement in the forest beyond caught my notice.
Red . . . eyes?
I squinted. The flash of red was gone, but even in its absence, claws raked down my spine. The red had been small and luminous, and I knew one creature who fit that description.
Vampire eyes could turn red. Usually when the bloodsuckers were starving or enraged. But the Red Assassins that came after us in Avaldenn had not been shy to approach. And why should they be? They were highly touted as the best assassins in Isila.
“Neve?” Vale asked from where he worked with the others. “Is something wrong?”
My gaze shifted to find my mate watching me, reins in hand, as he guided a horse away from the stream.
“Someone is in the woods,” I replied.
Vale blinked. “This far from civilization?”
“I guess. Their eyes were red, so they stood out.”
“We need to scout.” He turned, clearly understanding what I did not say. “Caelo and Luccan, Neve saw someone in the woods. Maybe a vampire. Help me look for them?”
“On it!” Luccan handed his reins to Thantrel as Caelo gave his over to Arie.
“Be careful,” I warned, as the males gathered their weapons and entered the woods. If that had been the assassins, they wouldn’t aim to kill my mate or his friends, just me. But that didn’t mean they would not harm someone who was in the way of them fulfilling their contract.
“We will be,” Vale replied, worry plain in his eyes. “You’d better build the shelter quickly, Force. It’s colder already. Thantrel and Arie will hold watch while you work.”
He was right. The storm approached at an unnatural speed. So, as the cabal members disappeared into the deep woods, I built a shelter to see us through what was sure to be a long night.
“Catch.” Luccan tossed a bit of dried meat at Clemencia, as he had twice already.
She opened her mouth and this time, the meat fell right in.
“That’s my lady!” Luccan cheered, and Clem’s cheeks turned pink with delight.
Next to me, Anna looked happy too, seated by Arie, his cloak covering both her legs and his.
Our evening meal comprised of dried meats and cheese; foods easy to travel with. Now that my belly was full and I was warmer than I’d been all day, I yawned. Last night we’d told stories for hours and hours, but I did not think that was in the nuchi cards tonight.
Outside, the winds howled, and snow fell at a remarkable rate.
Everyone raised in Winter’s Realm claimed they’d never seen snow fall so fast and thick.
The fire we’d huddled around for hours was dimming, but I found I did not worry about the storm raging outside.
Not when I was safe in my frozen shelter and around friends.
Vale, Caelo, and Luccan hadn’t found a soul around our camp. Not a single footprint in the snow, which a vampire, with all their supernatural strength and speed could not help but make. So it was likely a vampire was not lurking.
My friends had put me seeing red eyes down to being tired, but I disagreed. I was sure I’d seen someone. Maybe something? I didn’t know, but as no one had seen the red eyes since, I allowed myself a modicum of relaxation. Whatever it was had clearly moved on.
“I’ll wake and reinforce the shelter throughout the night, but I’m exhausted, so whomever is on watch will have to wake me when they think it’s needed.” I nudged Vale, who had taken it in turns with Thantrel to funnel the smoke out of the shelter.
“Of course,” Vale said. “We all need to rest well tonight. I hope to make good headway tomorrow, but with the snow falling, we might be slowed again.”
“I’ll take first watch,” Arie offered.
A rotation was quickly established, and finally, I laid down on my cloak. A moment later, Vale cuddled around me and pulled his larger cloak over the pair of us.
The others laid down too, side by side. Arie sat nearest the door, a cloak and woolen blanket pulled around him as he peered outside.
“Good night everyone,” Clemencia called out from where she snuggled with Luccan, her cheeks pink, though I wasn’t sure it was from the chill.
A chorus responded, and I wiggled closer to Vale. I closed my eyes, and sleep came like I was falling off a cliff. Exhaustion pulled me deeper and deeper into a void, and I swore I heard whispers.
“You sleep,” a voice said as the darkness of sleep closed in around me. Now, I feast.”